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October 20st

Friday again. Today I worked on the meadow engraving. I am still not happy. I will see. I will take the ideas along and work them in my head. Yesterday and today were the first two days of rain. So far, we had only beautiful, warm days. Now fall is coming. Did some more printing and I heated the glass and the print ink a little, pretty good results.

Now I am anxious how South Africa will turn out. 

October 18^th

I am still troubled with my uti. It keeps from working focused. But I packed all the pieces I showed at the open gallery, cleaned the studio I used for the presentation and went back into my first studio, which I like very much.

I am engraving the flower meadow for the book. It is still samples, so I can study different effects and how the light comes through. There are still some changes in the final piece to make but the piece I am working on right now will be turned into a clock. It is much to elaborate to be thrown out.

I have only a few more pages to write, I will work over the text during my trip and make the new storyboard for the book. So, I will be working on it on my trip to South Africa. 

October 17^th

What a difference a day makes. Today was a power day. I finished Alfred, the engraving for the gardener. I printed four paintings, more or less successful but always learning. Engraved a new piece and I am actually happy with it. Now blog and than the poem for Wiepersdorf halftime.

Halftime

At soccer halftime is mostly for
drinking and peeing (I had my share)
strategy talk and muscles sore,
for improving your well-being.

You ask yourself have I done enough
have the other done more?
The first part has been quite tough
should I do more than before?

Then you run back to the field
still limping a bit and tight,
never give up or yield
ready to struggle and fight.

The end of the game is close
you startle and try extra hard
the goal is in front of your nose
now this is your final part. 

You might miss or maybe you hit
become famous and morph
or people will just give a shit
at least you have been
at Wiepersdorf.

October 15^th

Back at Wiepersdorf a new fellow arrived.

Good to have someone my age to discuss writing. Today I worked on the scetches for the book and the last few days I worked on the book itself. I am thinking about selfpublishing. It really feels like what the editor wants is not want I want to say. My intention for the book is completely different from what he aims for. What does one do? 

October11th

A long time passed. I was in the hospital and I got back yesterday. But now I am fine.

It is to get back to work. A phone call with my editor, made clear to me that I have lots of work to do. I started and I hope that it will be better this time.

Engraving practice going fine. I engraved a face and prepared some glas for the book.

October 6^th

What a coincidence. I have been working on a piece “Woman In the window”

I finished it this morning.

More than three weeks ago I had started to engrave. I felt like I needed to do something for the women in IRAN. The woman in the window is caught in the glass. She can’t escape. She can only look out into a changing world. We are also only watching, feeling caught, not able to help or change a thing.

Those were my feelings when I started working.

Today Narges Mohammadi was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize

#Narges Mohammadi
#Iran #Amnesty Journal #Diskriminierung #Folter & Misshandlung #Frauen #Wirtschaftliche, Soziale & Kulturelle Rechte # #Journal Politik #Demonstrationen

October 5^th

Yesterday after I set up the machine, I started doing the glass edges of the pieces I had cut. From two pieces of glass, I went to twelve and I have to hem all the edges.

In the last week I have worked on the studies for the meadow and flowers.

I have taken some pictures but in fall you don’t really find the flowers I will need for a spring picture. 

October 4th

A weekend has gone by. Spending time at home for the Kickoff of the Kulturlandbüro Projekt, where we will perform a play in spring.

Today I will move my artwork and machines back into my first studio. The exhibitions is over and I can work better there. 

September 28^th

We had the chance to visit the Nikolai Church in Jüterbog. We saw the Werner organ (1657) the oldest organ Brandenburgs, St. Nikolai.

And the big organ built by Wilhelm Rühlmann from Zörbig in 1908. 44 Register and three organ manuals. We were able to have a peek of the impressive bellows. See the pictures. It is run by a motor but can although be filled by hand (leg) I was allowed to try. 

September 27^th

Two strange days for me spend on thinking and planning. So not much to show or tell. I learned about Alexander Scriabin (1871-1915): Sonate Op. 30 No. 4.

Amazing piano music.

These are the daily surprises you can come about at Schloss Wiepersdorf.

September 25^th

The open studio day is over. It was amazing. I love what the other fellows do. Hunjoo Jung for example makes amazing New music.

The world keeps turning and changing. I think we have to accept there is no stop to things. Young, energetic and creative people will change our world. And I hope they will be able to make it a better place. We should reconsider how we see our achievements. The unresponsible way of using the resources of our world needs to stop. There is no planet B no future without energy and no future for a polluted world.

Some may think why spend money on art. But art opens our minds and shows us different aspects of our behavior. I really enjoyed to see the work of my fellow fellows.

As soon as there is a link to the event I will share it with you.

Some early fall impressions.

September 21^st

Last night I learned some things about music. I do believe I like sons of Kemet and Jazz. I am still not into metal.

This sentence got to me today:
In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us. (Virginia Woolf)

This is exactly a Wiepersdorf feeling. And I love Virginia Woolf.

September 20^th

For today I have some laptop things to do and I will continue on the woman in the window. I am waiting for the things I need for glass printing. 

September 19^th

On Monday we visited pond Körba. It says pond not lake on the sign, but I would call it a lake. We saw how dry the lake and the surrounding country side is. Climate change everywhere, even here in Brandenburg. Today I started engraving a new idea. It will be called woman in (not at) the window and it will show an Iranian woman.

September 18^th 

I think what is at work here in Wiepersdorf for the fellows is the interruption of the normal life. We have to interrupt our normal routines. For one person it is missing a daily newspaper for another like me, it is the dog, who is usually always at my side. For some it is the abundance of food and being confronted with people. I don’t think it is important wherein the disruption lays. It is the disruption, the new orientation, finding a way to handle a new situation which gives the artist in us the new perspective. It won’t show right away but it will change something in us. And it will take time. So I think the timeline of 90 days is essential for the success. 

September 17^th

Today we visited Dahme/Mark. An old town in Brandenburg. It is very beautiful and was not destroyed in world war two. We took a nice walk through the old town and were fascinated by the beautiful places and the peaceful park. After a delicious lunch at wiepersdorf I had some icecream in Dahme. 

I started on the storyboard for the images I will have to create.

Still a long way to go.

16.09.2023

Heute habe ich drei Jugendlichen die Graveurmaschine gezeigt. Das hat mir und den kids Spaß gemacht. Ich kann gut mit Jugendlichen und Kindern. Immerhin was.

Abends war dann Filmvorführung, ein mich verstörender Film aus dem Iran der 80ziger Jahre. Chess of the Wind also titled The Chess Game of the Wind, is a 1976 Iranian film written and directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani.

Die Bilder waren sehr fremd für mich und man hatte das Gefühl die Akteure wurden für die Szenen ins Bild gebracht oder besser geschoben, wie die gelähmte Protogonistin. Dann löste sich alles wieder auf. Es war sehr interessant einen Film aus einer andere Kultur zu sehen. 

September 16th, 2023

Today I showed three young people the engraving machine. That was fun for me and the kids. I am good with teenagers and children. At least something.

In the evening there was a film screening, a film from Iran in the 80s that disturbed me. Chess of the Wind also titled The Chess Game of the Wind, is a 1976 Iranian film written and directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani.

The images were very foreign to me and you had the feeling that the actors were brought into the picture for the scenes, or rather pushed, like the paralyzed protagonist. Then everything dissolved again. It was very interesting to see a film from another culture.

September 15th

Heute habe ich 88 Horizonte graviert. 88 Tage sind mir hier angeboten, ein jeder wird etwas anderes bringen. 

Today I engraved 88 horizons. 88 days are offered to me here, each one will bring something different.

12.09.2023

The sun is in the southwest and there is autumn light. It's still warm, every now and then you hear an acorn or chestnut fall to the ground, or a dull pop when an apple falls. It's autumn, even if it's still warm like summer. I'm enjoying the last hours of summer. If only one could store the warmth and light that falls so gently through the trees. For the chilly winter nights ahead. Who would have thought that I would be able to experience days like this in the autumn of my life. Filled with sweet longing and yet carefree and without need. I appreciate that and am full of gratitude. I would love to put myself and my little friend Carla in a princess dress and play catch with her here. A frog croaks in the pond behind me and I would tell her the fairy tale of the Frog Prince. There is a magic about this place and I hope my young colleagues feel it too. It tells of a different time with different worries, but it doesn't have the heaviness that weighs on everyone today. His immediate concern was what will the harvest be like? How do we pickle the cucumbers? With or without dill?

Don't ask yourself whether Putin would attack NATO countries and what you would do if your own country was threatened. Do you fight for your freedom or not?

  What will happen next with climate change? What else has to happen so that everyone understands that we all have to do without and cut back. The imagined abundance has come to an end.

The abuse of our world must stop.

Yes, such thoughts plague me today.

11.09.2023

September, a month of very disturbing days. Birthdays of people who are not part of my life anymore. People who have been part of my life for more than thirty-five years.

I need to look at the opportunities I have now.

When I came back to Wiepersdorf today I started working almost right away. The time at home has helped me solve a problem how to proceed with my project now I need to take action to get some help from another engraver who has done hand printing. I don’t think they have a press here. We will see.

I worked a little on my practice piece and prepared one glass for wheel engraving.

Picture as soon as I believe something is worth showing. 

08. September

A beautiful morning thanks to the omega high pressure weather. I went for a morning walk and already met the technician who is in charge of the wireless network and to my surprise and joy it is working at 7.30 am. Today I will take the adventure of traveling home by train. We will see.

Last night I watched an old movie with another fellow, Björn. It was the first time I actually was able to sit still and just watch a movie and not draw or fidget or read beside the movie.

It is called “the waters of the hill” and I enjoyed watching it. It is a story about creed and insidiousness. But it is more about the landscape and the nature. It really leaves a lot to think about.

Very interesting effect. 

07. September 2023

Yesterday I thought the internet connecting problems was solved but apparently it is not. Anyway, I will work it out. At lunchtime we had a very rare visitor, a praying mantis was sitting on one of the chairs.

After dinner I took another bike ride. I felt courageous because I went without my mobile. I couldn’t take pictures but the cornfields and sunflower fields already nodding heavily with seeds in the pink evening sky were captured in my mind. I went to my room early and watched TV. So unexciting, dear reader forgive me. But after a whole day of unsuccessful engraving, I couldn’t do anything else.

Now I will go over to my workshop for another day of practice. I hope I have something to show you by tonight. 

I just went for a walk and saw another mantis, not green but light brown and smaller.
I broke four pieces of glass today while trying to line or hem the glass. I do that to keep the glass from breaking during the engraving process and to prevent cutting myself on the sharp edges of the shards. I feel like some days things just go wrong, but I will keep it up.

After the break I went back to my studio, as the others call it. I lined a piece of glass without breaking it and I actually started on something I cannot show, yet. It is a secret.

Tomorrow is travel day, I go back home to Altwarp to see Tibor and Emma. I miss both. I will be back on Monday. 

September 06, 2023

As always, I woke up early. I would like to write to the USA but Unfortunately, no internet.

Yesterday during the museum tour, I noticed a door painting, Achim von Arnim (the younger)  had painted an evil looking face on a panel to scare off children. I remember the sheet at Moses' that was hung on Christmas Eve to discourage the children from rushing into the living room on Christmas morning.

There were also butterflies painted on the door frames. A link to my project.

I still have problems with the wireless. They tried to help but the thick walls seem to be an obstacle.
Andreas, the major domus, helped me with a table and they have a stack of broken glass.
What else does a heart want?

Working was first successful but than I spoiled the piece. New try tomorrow.

September 05, 2023

A restless night. It's quiet here, like in Altwarp. Maybe a few more cars and more roosters.

A rooster tries desperately to wake everyone up. I wake up at 5:00 am, doze off again until 6:00 am.
I try to go back to sleep, but as always in vain. I miss Emma, I would go for a walk with her now.
Get out into nature, breathe the pure air. I get up, get a coffee and take a bike. They are provided for the fellows. I'm cycling. Wonderful.

It works, there comes the first poem:

threeness

twoness

solitude

Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.

September 04, 2023

Arrival from Berlin. You drive through forests and lonely landscapes for a long time. Now and then a truck, what is it doing here? Wiepersdorf a small, pretty place. Well-kept front gardens, houses from another time.

Castle Wiepersdorf: Everything quiet and deserted.
A nice welcome, but Emma, my dog is not welcome. I had hoped. I don't want to be separated from my two loved ones for three months. Already a bad feeling. Will I be able to make it?

I can choose a studio. I feel respected. A great place to work, will I succeed? Good lunch, balanced and vegetarian. Resting in the shade of old trees.

Emma can't stay. I'm sad and afraid I can't make it through without her. They leave.

Good dinner. Then the worst part for me. Among people I don't know.

I feel separated, I'm not a studied artist, I have no compulsion to earn money with my art. I am old. All are younger, a generation I don't know. Lives I've never lived, I try to be open. I am going to my room soon.